FUTURE TALENT
INSIGHT SERIES
Attracting high achievers: are they really that different?
CAREER AMBITIONS AND EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES FROM THE WORLD’S TOP 200 UNIVERSITIES
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
In the war to attract top talent, it’s
helpful to delve into the minds of
students and graduates of the world’s
top universities. What drives their
career ambitions and expectations?
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HOME
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
Onsite bowling alleys, free gym
memberships and flexible work hours
are the types of perks that help
organizations stand out as employers
of choice. But to what extent do they
reflect what is truly important to
today’s best young candidates?
In this report – part of our Future
Talent Insight Series – we explore
the career expectations of business
students and recent graduates
(referred to as High Achievers) from
the top 200 universities listed in
the Times Higher Education World
University Rankings 2015–2016.
We surveyed more than 88,000
people from 10 countries: Canada,
China, Germany, Hong Kong,
Norway, Singapore, Sweden,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom
and the United States. More than
18,000 of these students study at
the top 200 universities.
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While these top-tier schools are
by no means the only source of
high-quality graduates, exploring
what their students seek in a job
can help organizations develop
targeted strategies for attracting
the best talent.
Our analysis also explores how High
Achievers differ from their peers at
other universities. How do these
students think differently, what
drives them and what does this
mean for employers?
HOME
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
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UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
Understanding high achievers
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
Who are these High Achievers,
and what sets them apart from
students at other universities?
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Career profile
We sought to understand how
students view themselves as
employees, and what drives them.
The top three career profiles of
High Achievers are Careerist,
Internationalist and Hunter.
Career goals
For all students, work/life balance
was their top goal as they prepare
to embark on their careers.
Further down the list we see some
variations, with High Achievers
ranking as second a desire to lead or
manage people, while students from
other universities cite job security.
It seems High Achievers are more
focused on becoming leaders and
feeling competitively or intellectually
challenged, and less on job stability.
FIGURE 1
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THE CAREERIST
Self-motivated and
ambitious individuals
who want to be
leaders, they look
for employers that
provide robust training,
and opportunities
for advancement
and growth.
THE INTERNATIONALIST
Strategic, futurefocused and adaptable,
these people seek
a career with an
international aspect.
THE HUNTER
Hunters are solutionfocused and natural
salespeople who
thrive in business
development roles.
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
FIGURE 1
WHICH OF THESE CAREER GOALS
ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU?
High Achievers versus Other Students
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54%
To have work/life balance
To be a leader or manager of people
RETURN
42%
38%
40%
To be secure or stable in my job
To be competitively or
intellectually challenged
28%
HOME
57%
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
47%
33%
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
29%
28%
To have an international career
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
28%
29%
To be entrepreneurial or
creative/innovative
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
26%
25%
To be dedicated to a cause or to feel
that I am serving a greater good
20%
21%
To be autonomous or independent
To be a technical or functional expert
9%
0%
11%
METHODOLOGY
10%
High Achievers
Other students
MORE
INFORMATION
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
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HOME
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
Employer qualities
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
Beyond earning a high salary,
High Achievers crave creative and
dynamic work that will challenge
them, and look for leaders to foster
their development.
Attributes of an
attractive employer
What do High Achievers want in a
workplace and a role? High future
earnings is the top priority for all
students. If we look closer at salary
expectations, we find, perhaps
unsurprisingly, that High Achievers
expect to earn a higher salary upon
graduating. The exception is in
Norway, where students outside the
top 200 had a higher expectation of
salary on average.
High Achievers ranked ‘supportive
leaders’ as the second most
important employer attribute,
followed by a creative and dynamic
work environment. Other students
cited a similar top three.
FIGURE 2
Further down the list, there are
some key differences. Among High
Achievers, prestige and variety
are more important, while other
students place greater value on
working for a company with high
ethical standards and a friendly and
respectful environment.
FIGURE 3
The issue of ethical standards
is an interesting one. Between
groups and across countries we see
significant variation in how students
feel about this employer attribute.
FIGURE 4
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Target industries
High Achievers seem most drawn
to industries where salaries
are generally higher and work
is potentially more prestigious,
strategic and challenging. Their top
three industries are management
and strategy consulting, banks
and financial services, and auditing
and accounting.
Agriculture, shipping, arts,
entertainment and recreation
were ranked among the least
desirable industries for all students,
suggesting organizations in these
areas may need to get creative in
their quest to attract talent.
HOME
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
FIGURE 2
TOP FIVE EMPLOYER ATTRIBUTES
High Achievers versus Other Students
RETURN
HIGH ACHIEVERS
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OTHER STUDENTS
HOME
1
High future earnings
High future earnings
INTRODUCTION
2
Leaders who will support my development
Professional training and development
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
3
A creative and dynamic work environment
A creative and dynamic work environment
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
4
Professional training and development
Leadership opportunities
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
5
Leadership opportunities
Leaders who will support my development
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
FIGURE 3
10
50%
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BIGGEST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
HIGH ACHIEVERS AND OTHER STUDENTS
High Achievers versus Other Students
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
40%
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
RETURN
30%
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
20%
MORE
INFORMATION
10%
METHODOLOGY
0%
Prestige
High Achievers
Other students
A friendly work
environment
Respect for
its people
Variety of
assignments
Recruiting only the
best talent
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
FIGURE 4
ETHICAL STANDARDS
IS ONE OF THE MOST ATTRACTIVE
ATTRIBUTES IN AN EMPLOYER
By country (High Achievers)
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HOME
Norway 43%
Sweden 15%
UK 20%
Canada 28%
INTRODUCTION
Germany 12%
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
Switzerland 23%
US 33%
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
China 25%
RETURN
Hong Kong 20%
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
Singapore 32%
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
26 32
By group
HIGH ACHIEVERS
%
%
OTHER STUDENTS
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
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INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
High achiever profiles
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
Elsa
Elsa is 22 and in her final year of a Business Administration degree at
Lund University in Sweden. Ambitious and determined, Elsa has her
sights set on a management career in media.
As part of her final year, Elsa is completing an internship with a local digital
media company. Many of Elsa’s peers (both High Achievers and other
students) are engaged in part-time or summer work and extracurricular
activities. However, more High Achievers, like Elsa, have undergone local
internships (48 percent of High Achievers compared to 36 percent of other
students). Internships offer valuable on-the-job experience and build
networks, potentially giving Elsa an edge in finding employment.
As a Careerist, Elsa is ready to climb the corporate ladder and put in the
work required. Like many Careerists, she wants to work in an environment
that recognizes and rewards hard work. She will seek an employer that
fosters her development and advancement, offers work/life balance,
provides regular training and promises a variety of challenges.
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HOME
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
Hugo
Hugo, 26, has recently completed his Masters in Business Law and
Economics at the UK’s University of Liverpool. He hopes to build a career
as a strategic consultant for multinational companies.
Hugo is an Internationalist; a natural-born leader, he is strategic and
adaptable. He is looking for a job that offers variety and diversity, and
opportunities to lead and inspire others. Hugo completed a semester in
Germany and hopes to work in a role that sees him travelling overseas,
or at least interacting with international clients and colleagues.
This ambition is common to many High Achievers. More than half
(52 percent) have traveled overseas, compared to 43 percent of students
at other universities, while more than one-quarter (28 percent) of High
Achievers have studied abroad, compared to 18 percent of other students.
Hugo is conscious that in today’s global economy, international experience
is seen as an advantage by many employers.
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HOME
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
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HOME
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
Implications for employers
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
Gaining that elusive competitive edge
often comes down to the talent that
walks in your doors. Find ways to
offer, and communicate, what your
candidates want and you’ll have far
more chance of standing out.
Find your balance
Our research has consistently found
that young professionals care deeply
about work/life balance. However,
this shouldn’t be confused with
an unwillingness to work hard and
‘pay their dues’ – a stereotype
often associated with the younger
generation. In a 2015 Universum
report on millennials, the top three
definitions of ‘work/life balance’
from respondents were enough
leisure time for my private life, flexible
work hours and recognition and
respect for employees.
Employers set on hiring fresh
talent can’t ignore this insight.
How will you support employees’
desire for balance?
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HOME
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
Provide a roadmap
A 2016 Deloitte report on the
career expectations of millennials
revealed that in an ideal work
week, young professionals wanted
significantly more time devoted
to the development of their
leadership skills and to coaching
and mentoring. This hunger for
regular training and support is
reflected in our research, which
reveals it is a top-five employer
attribute for High Achievers.
The organizations most successful
in attracting these candidates will
have robust training plans in place
and clear roadmaps for supporting
employee advancement.
Build your brand
Cultivating a strong employer brand
is a crucial aspect of successful
recruitment – and even more so
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for organizations targeting High
Achievers. As we explored above,
these top students and graduates
place a higher value on prestige
than their peers; they want to
work somewhere that is seen to be
attractive by others.
Among the employer attributes that
High Achievers rated lowest were
corporate transparency, customer
focus, gender diversity and overtime
pay. While these are important
issues in business, it seems they’re
not effective selling points in the
battle to attract top candidates.
The best employer brands
understand the unique, distinct and
credible values of their company
and build this into all of their talent
communications. What is your
organization doing to build its
employer brand and stand out
from the crowd?
HOME
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
MORE INFORMATION
Want more information about
attracting top candidates,
cultivating your employer brand,
or simply taking the first steps
towards better understanding
your organization?
The Talent Insight Series is only a
small selection of questions from
the larger Universum Talent Survey.
We explore in depth the career
expectations of talent by asking
them to evaluate their chosen
employers based on four drivers of
employer attractiveness: employer
reputation and image, people
and culture, job characteristics,
remuneration, and advancement
opportunities. To get insights
on your employer brand and
understand how you compete with
other employers, contact us.
Learn more about
Universum’s
research services
Find out about
Universum’s
consulting services
Contact Universum today
and let us help you build
a better employer brand
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INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
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METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
METHODOLOGY
Each year, Universum gathers
insights about the career
expectations of more than
1,500,000 career seekers from 57
countries, and publishes dozens of
reports on the top issues affecting
global talent and the companies
that hire them. The Talent Insight
Series focuses on students nearing
graduation, or who have recently
finished university.
This report is based on business
students and recent graduates from
The Times Higher Education World
University Rankings 2015–2016.
Global averages are a weighted
average of the selected countries;
weighting is by GDP.
Based on an exclusive survey –
distributed via university and alumni
contacts, the Universum Panel
and local partners – Universum
ensures the quality and validity
of the end result by continuously
maintaining a close dialogue with
leading academics in the field. Our
vast experience in the field, and
cooperation with leading professors
from top universities, enable us
to stay at the front line of the
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development of employer branding.
Our findings are also used all over
the world as material for new
research. They are created based on
more than 25 years of experience,
extensive research within HR and
focus groups, and communication
with both our clients and talent.
Global perspective – local insight.
Although Universum conducts
research in 57 markets, this report
covers only 10 countries. If you
would like to learn more about
talent within your market, please
contact us.
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INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
METHODOLOGY
COUNTRIES
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GDP IN $
PERCENTAGE
NUMBER OF
TOP 200 STUDENTS
NUMBER OF
OTHER STUDENTS
US
17,950 billion
46.22%
5747
15183
UK
2,849 billion
7.34%
3136
3654
Singapore
292.7 billion
0.75%
2214
1442
Sweden
492.6 billion
1.27%
1729
5034
Canada
1,552 billion
4.00%
1679
4642
Germany
3,358 billion
8.65%
1599
13753
Hong Kong
309.9 billion
0.80%
1067
897
Switzerland
664.6 billion
1.71%
427
5633
10,980 billion
28.27%
353
16538
389.5 billion
1.00%
104
3893
China
Norway
HOME
INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING
HIGH ACHIEVERS
EMPLOYER
QUALITIES
HIGH ACHIEVER
PROFILES
IMPLICATIONS FOR
EMPLOYERS
MORE
INFORMATION
METHODOLOGY
ATTRACTING HIGH ACHIEVERS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?
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